Reduced SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection Risk Among the Denmark Population

New research from the Statens Serum Institut in Denmark last week reported nationwide PCR test result-based findings showing that COVID-19 reinfection was prevalent in just 0.65% of the country’s population through 2020.

The findings, published in The Lancet, would suggest that previously infected COVID-19 patients are likely to have a protection from reinfection at least through 6 months after testing positive.

That said, more research is being considered, and investigators additionally found stipulations among age groups.

In an interview with Contagion on her team’s findings, study author Daniela Michlmayr, PhD, explained the inspiration for the assessment that was made possible by an impressive 4 million data-logged PCR test results from Denmark—approximately two-thirds of the country’s population.

Michlmayr also discussed currently ongoing genome sequencing assessments with the same available national database, to help better inform their new interpretation of improved protection from COVID-19 reinfection.

Most importantly, Michlmayr discussed the unique age-stratified findings from the newly-published research, which shows that elderly patients fared worse than the younger population’s approximate 80% overall protection from COVID-19 reinfection.

“We found really alarming results that among the elderly, everybody who is 65 and beyond, actually had a reduced protection—only 50%, approximately,” she said. “That alarmed us, personally, and motivated us to conduct these studies.”